NFL Betting Preview: Ravens vs. Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens will square off in a Thursday night nationally televised game. The opening kickoff is slated for 8:20 PM ET from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The NFL betting odds at Bovada are currently showing Cincinnati as a 1.5-point home underdog.

Recent Rivalry History
The Ravens snapped a 5-game losing streak at Paul Brown Stadium with last year’s 20-0 win. The last 3 times these AFC North rivals have met in Cincinnati each of those games went under the total. The last 2 seasons have seen the teams split their 4 games played against one another.

Ravens Report
It was dream start to the season for the Baltimore who trounced Buffalo 47-3. The Ravens dominated the game in all three phases. Their defense prevented Buffalo from getting a first down during the entire 1st half of action. At game’s end, the Bills were only to amass 153 yards of total offense. Offensively, 6 different Ravens players scored a touchdown and they racked up 369 total yards.

On a negative note, since 2015, Baltimore has gone 8-15 on the road. Changing directions, since 2016, Baltimore has gone over the total in all 9 of their road contests following a home game. During that identical time span, they’ve gone over the total in 9 of 10 games following a home win.

Bengals Update
Cincinnati opened their 2018 regular season campaign by overcoming a 10-point deficit and walking away with a 34-23 road win over the Indianapolis Colts. Cincinnati covered as a 1.0-point underdog and it went over the total of 47.5.

Since 2016, Cincinnati has seen 16 of their 33 games have their point-spread at +3.0 to -3.0, and they went 7-8-1 ATS in those contests. Through that precise time frame, Cincinnati went under in 6 of 7 home games within that exact point-spread parameter. The Bengals are a mediocre 8-7 SU&ATS at home.

Final Analysis and Pick
I firmly believe that public betting has overreacted to Baltimore’s lopsided win over Buffalo last Sunday. They will unequivocally be facing a much better team tonight and doing so away from the friendly confines of M&T Bank Stadium. Furthermore, they’ll be traveling and playing on short rest. When it comes to NFL betting, a contrarian approach can often be beneficial.
Pick: Cincinnati +1.5

Ross Benjamin is a top sports analyst and one of the sports industry's most respected handicappers. Follow him on Twitter: @RossBenjamin1 or visit his website at RBWins.com